Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday appealed to people to cast their vote for the Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidates in the upcoming by-elections for six Assembly seats of West Bengal to continue development in their areas.

“I will return from Darjeeling on the bypoll day on November 13. I will say to people of all six constituencies that the West Bengal government and Maa Mati Manush are always with you. We were and will be with you 365 days. Please vote for Trinamool Congress candidates and development in your respective areas will continue,” said Banerjee at the Kolkata airport before leaving for Darjeeling where she will hold meetings with the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) on Tuesday.

“I express my gratitude to voters for making our candidates win in the Lok Sabha polls. They are working in their own areas,” the CM added.

“I am visiting Darjeeling after a long time. Even during the elections (Lok Sabha) I could not visit there since Anit (Anit Thapa, GTA chief and Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha president ) and others were working there. I always want the people of Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars tea gardens to remain happy,” the Chief Minister said.

On the elections in Maharashtra and other states, Banerjee said, “It will not be right for me to comment on elections in other states. The Opposition parties are fighting against the BJP there. I want everyone to vote against the BJP.”

The bypolls in the state were necessitated due to the resignations of sitting MLAs of the six Assembly segments following their victory in the Lok Sabha elections.

The TMC has fielded Sangita Roy from Sitai in Cooch Behar district, Jay Prakash Toppo from Madarihat in Alipurduar, Sanat Dey from Naihati, Sk Rabiul Islam from Haroa in North 24 Parganas, Falguni Singhababu from Taldangra in Bankura, and Sujoy Hazra from Medinipur assembly segment in Paschim Medinipur district.

The TMC had won five of these seats in the 2021 Assembly polls, except for Madarihat, which was taken by the BJP.— PTI inputs